


The Dog Days Are Over

by hairdye_silverfindings



Category: Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Activist!Everyone, Activist!Sif, And Baldur lives in his car, And is angsty, Baldur is a surfer with dreads, Everyone had braids and surfer necklaces!, I guess..., Incest, Jane is a crazy cryptozoologist, Loki Does What He Wants, Loki causes Thor pain, Loki runs away from his feelings, M/M, Odin's A+ Parenting, Sea Monsters, Surfer AU, Thoki – Freeform, Thor lives in a boat, Thor's angsty, WARNING: Baldur's got dreads, everyone is angsty, radical activist Sif being radical, sif is a bamf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2013-11-24
Packaged: 2017-12-27 13:51:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/979684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hairdye_silverfindings/pseuds/hairdye_silverfindings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor's coping, living with a longing, but he's got the ocean and his got Sif, so everything is okay right? That is until the Jane Foster moves to town, in search of answers to prove her crackpot idea to Midgardian scientists: sea monsters are real and leading to the world's end. But even that's okay, and he can deal, cause really, maybe, he believes her and maybe he's falling out of love with someone he never should have loved.</p><p>But then he gets a call from his distant and estranged brother and he really can't cope anymore or he thinks he might explode.</p><p>A tale of love, loss, boys not dealing with feelings, sea monsters, housing developments and sandwiches.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Muffins, Girls and Good Vibes

**Author's Note:**

> I have an obsession with surfers. It's kind of bad seeing as I'm currently the resident of a landlocked state, but whatever, I can deal. Most of the time. And then things like this happen. I was kind of surprised I hadn't seen anything like this before, it seems so natural, Thor and surfing, so I had to write my own.  
> And hey, what's life without some , Thoki, angst, and sea monsters?
> 
> I tried to make it like all the nine realms with like, in one world, and hopefully I succeeded. I also tried to write all of the Asgardian's lines at least some what faithful to the comics so. I hope its not toooooo ridiculous. Also I haven't decided if I'm going to write graphic sex, so. Yeah.
> 
> So enjoy, and forgive me for my grammer and my spelling and my lacking knowledge of surfing.

**Chapter 1: Girls, Muffins and Good Vibes.**

                 

“Awaken.”

He felt someone pat his bum, but he didn’t respond. Just five more minutes, man.

“Hey. Wake up.”

Why couldn’t they just leave him the fuck alone? Shit. Where was Sif? Ha, let them try to wake her ass up. She’ll stab them in a heart beat. He chuckled into his pillow.

“Coward. Wake your ass up. We are due to depart.”

He kicked out, flailing his foot around, hopefully connecting with something. He was unsuccessful. Instead the curtains of the room were yanked open, and the sheets pulled back. He yelped and tried to shy away from the bright Asgardia sunshine. It was too early for this. Or maybe it wasn’t and he was too hungover for this. Either way he wasn’t happy. Where was Sif?

“Thor! Get your fucking ass outta bed!” Oh. There she was…. Thor squinted through his eyelashes, the light from the window to his back fell on Sif standing before him. She didn’t seem very happy. Thor glanced around, eyes falling on the book shelves on the sides of the inset where the bed was stuffed, on the giant crystals on the window ledge, hanging plants in the window, his elbow came down on one of the giant pillows along the bed as he rolled over.

“Good. You are conscious. I was starting to worry. Thought maybe I’d bed you too hard last night.” Sif smiled, turning and walking away, down the long room. “Get your cloths on. We must depart.” Thor groaned and sat up, hand reaching out to find his boxers.

“Where are we going?” He asked, blurrily looking at Sif pulling her hair into a pony tail. She didn’t even look at him.

“Protest.” She answered as he stood and pulled his jeans on.

"I was of the mentality that it was later." He mumbled. "Not at..." Thor picked up her alarm clock. "7:00. Shit, it's seven?"

"Yes," Sif told him crossing to him and taking the alarm clock and dropping it to the floor, smiling up at him through her eyelashes, bring her hands to snake around his neck. "You slept for awhile. I already went for a run." Thor chuckled, wrapping his arms around her waist, the sound rolling through his chest and into her's like the waves upon a shore.

"Let us just retire to bed again," He told her. "The protest isn't until nine right?" Slowly Thor leaned over and kissed her gently.

"And in that you are correct," Sif told him, "But we must off and fetch Fandral." She told him, twisting away from him and grabbing her keys. "So let’s go slow poke." Thor groaned and started out of the little house after her pulling his shirt on. Sif was already seated in her little white Jeep in the drive way, waiting for Thor, one arm crooked and sitting on the arm rest, the other resting on the steering wheel. Thor climbed in, buttoning his shirt as he did so. She already had the car on, rumbling in the driveway, music pumping from her stereo. Sif smiled when Thor climbed in, backing up quickly before heading out toward the beach. The air was already humid, but the sun felt nice and Thor wished he’d brought sunglasses. They sped down the highway, the wind whipping through the windows and tangling their hair. Sif was going probably thirty miles of the limit, but Thor was used to that, he had sold the car Odin had bought for him and was often a permanent fixture in her jeep.

The highway cut a winding path through the little quite neighborhoods until it all dropped away to a giant blue expanse of water surrounded mostly by tall black cliffs. Occasionally the cliffs dropped back and golden beaches and green tidal pools reached out exposing some of the best surf of this side of Asgard. The coast was dotted with these beauties, secret places the locals went, and not so secret places that were crawling with tourists 68% of the time. Not that Thor and his friends really cared. They only really cared about the surf reports. And the reefs. And the big development that some rich wanker wanted to build.

Sif’s jeep weaved in and out of the cars on the highway until she made a startling left turn, over the median, into the parking lot of one of Asgardia’s beaches. The parking lot was already filled with a few of the hardcore early morning regulars, guys who couldn’t wait to get out in the water or hadn’t even left, and a few tourists that had heard the waves and the sand were the best early in the morning. They parked next to a rusty old pale blue car that belonged to one of those regulars, a young dude with a head of dreadlocks and crazy potent drugs. The dude with a crazy weed happened to be Thor’s kid brother. Sif kicked her legs out of the Jeep and jumped down leaning to look into the car. Thor ran and hand through his hair as he crossed in front of the Jeep.

“Baldur?” She called banging on the window. Thor stood back and appreciated the curve of her ass in her cutoffs and the freckles in between her shoulder blades. She tapped hard of the window. In response the twisted up bundle of blankets began to churn and Thor’s brother’s head appeared. Shrill barking echoed around the cab, and the tiny Jack Russell Terrier the brothers shared, Steamboat, jumped up and nosing the window.

“There we go.” Thor said walking forward to join Sif at the window. Baldur blinked at them and leaned over to roll down his window, Steamboat jumping out. Thor grabbed up the little dog and scratched it behind the ears. “Howdy brother. How is residing in your car?” Baldur grinned.

“The most peaceful I’ve ever been.” He said throwing the blankets off and shuffling out of the car. “Did you guys bring me breakfast?” Until quiet recently Baldur had been living at home, but had decided in a fit of spiritualistic panic to pack up his car and start “beach-hopping”, following the swell and bagged muffins.

“Fuck no.” Thor said with a grin as Sif pulled a muffin out of her car. Steamboat nosed the air hopefully, thumping his stub of a tail against Thor’s chest. “Do you just keep muffins in your car for my dispossessed family members?”

“Correct again my prince. You’re doing well today. Two for two.” Sif said with a wink as Baldur exchanged the muffin for a kiss on her cheek.

“May I have one?” Thor asked leaning into Baldur’s car to take a pair of sunglasses sitting on the dash.

“No. You possess a ‘house’, albeit a very meager form of a house, but still a house.” She told him. “Dawn on your big-boy pants on Baldur. We’re going to town.” She told him and headed for the beach. “Grab those shorts right inside the Jeep will you?”

“But the surf…” Baldur said looking out toward the ocean. Thor shrugged and clapped him on the shoulder before headed after Sif, a pair of purple shorts in his hand. Sif was making a beeline for a large tropical towel and a pile of skinny, sleeping girls in bikinis. Thor grinned. Where there were multiple scantily clad girls, there was sure to be an equally clad Fandral. And he was not wrong. Sure enough in the middle of the girls was one of his friends, nude, tan, with salt water crusted in his hair. Around his neck glinted a cord and tiger eye necklace.

“Hey ho, Robin Hood.” Sif said pushing her sunglasses up briefly before letting them fall back onto her nose. Fandral groaned and rubbed a hand over his face, the girls around him stirring. Fandral cracked an eye open and groaned louder.

“We’ve to depart.” Sif said a hand on her hip.

“Sif it is early.” Fandral said. Thor laughed.

“That’s what I said.” Thor grinned. “Get off your ass, comrade. And put your shorts on.” Thor tossed him the scraps of fabric which Fandral caught in one hand. Sif started waking up the girl’s sprawled across Fandral’s towel.

“Thanks.” Fandral said gesturing with the hand that held his shorts. His hair was a mess and his nose was sunburnt. “I have sand everywhere.” Thor glanced down between Fandral’s legs and laughed.

“Yeah that’s sex on the beach does to you.” Thor said “Is that the exchange student from Vanaheim?” Fandral grinned sheepishly and Thor laughed.

“Hey, Casanova,” Sif shouted. “Come help me with your concubines.” Fandral sighed and Thor laughed again, turning away to look at the ocean. The water was glistening and totally gorgeous and he really wanted to go surfing, but Sif was not gonna have that. There were a few people already out today, and the surf was almost perfect. Thor smiled and shoved his hands into his pockets. He loved it out here. He loved the water, the sun on his shoulders, the sand in-between his toes. Everything great that had happened to him had happened in the water. And a lot of bad things too. Thor swallowed and squinted into the sun. There was something strange way out in the surf.

“Hey.” Thor called taking Baldur’s sunglasses off. “Hey guys.” He looked over his shoulder. Fandral was quietly speaking with each of the girls privately, giving them some variant of the same line while Sif comforted them and sent them on their way. They weren’t paying any attention to him. Thor turned back to the water and took a few steps. It was way out in the ocean. Some kind of churning in the water. Thor’s feet were wet. There was something moving out there, agitating the water. As Thor watched something rolled out of the water, like a spine, and then disappeared again.

“What the…” Thor muttered “What the _fuck_?”

“Thor!” Sif shouted, Thor turned to see her shading her eyes and looking as if she could punch him. Thor looked back at the sea. It was calm again.

“Did you see that?” He shouted back. He’s walked along way away from them.

“See what?” She asked walking down the beach to meet him. She slipped her hand into his.

“That…” Thor pointed out “I thought…. I….” Sif grinned and stood up on her tippy toes to kiss him. He responded dully.

“There’s nothing. Let’s go get some breakfast.”

Thor nodded slowly and turned away following her up the beach.


	2. Sea Monsters and Mead

Chapter 2: Sea Monsters and Mead

Jane Foster squinted up at the new house. It was white with blue trim and it was cute. It was also tiny. Jane sighed and looked back at the little yellow moving truck sitting in the driveway. Darcy was fumbling through the glove compartment, looking for her lipstick. What she did for her work. Her grip on the keys was too tight and they poked her. This was her big break. If she could find some kind of proof here then hell maybe she could get that grant. Jane closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. the air smelled like sun and something green. This place felt good. It felt like that moment in the movies where the protagonist starts out on their unexpected journeys.

“Alright.” Darcy called running up the path to their new place, the anklet she wore jingling. “We’re good. It’s gonna take me a hella long time to understand this money man.” Darcy grinned and pushed her glasses up her nose. “Jane?”

“Huh?” Jane said. “What?”

Darcy rolled her eyes and gestured toward the house. “Let’s go, Jane.” Jane nodded once and headed up the steps to their new pad. “What if someone’s like dead in there?”

“Darcy.” Jane said rolling her eyes.

“What? I’m being realistic.”

Jane snorted and popped the door open, shoving it with her shoulder when it stuck. The house had wood floors, old and worn, like driftwood. It had walls painted light blue and low ceilings. Jane grinned to herself. The house was sparsely furnished, beds and a table and a futon sofa. There was a wind chime made of polished dried cactus and sliced fire agate hanging along the door jam to the living room.

“It’s a little stuffy.” Darcy said heading into the living room. She started to open the giant windows most of the house was made of. The house was a square with a hall bisecting it, to the left was the living room, then the kitchen and on the right were both bedrooms and the bathroom. The kitchen opened to a long portal along the back, that over looked a cliff and the rocky makings of tidal pools.

“I get it now.” Darcy nodded, leaning against the railing. A gust of ocean wind ripped up off the water and blew their hair into their faces.

“What?” Jane asked.

“The tidal pools. You’re whole office is our backyard.” Darcy grinned at Jane’s blush. “I’m starving lets go get some food bro.”

 

*

 

The sandwich shop was quiet until Thor and his friends showed up, disrupting the quite calm surrounding _Noatun Sandwiches_ , one of the only beach view sandwich shops where Baldur could find fried asparagus and tofu and they could eat for free.

“Hey, hey!” Fandral called as they entered, his button down shirt open over his short shorts. “Forsooth fear not peasants, Fandral the Dashing has arrived.” Fandral cheered for himself and the shop’s other regulars rolled their eyes in good humor, high fiving him as he made his way to the counter. Volstagg, their owner and friend laughed heartily and exchanged a bro-shake with Thor.

“How fare the waves, my young sea-turtle?” Volstagg asked, slapping down two sandwiches before turning to make the others. Thor looked over at his friends, occupying the big round table in the corner, the dog sitting on Sif’s lap grinning as it wagged its tail and licked her boob.

 

“Wouldn’t know.” Thor said, reading the scrawling writing on the paper wrappers. _M, M & M_ and _Baldur._ Meat, Meat and More Meat and Baldur’s signature.“The missus woke me up at like five and I still haven’t gotten to hit the waves.”

“What an evil witch.” Volstagg smiled.

“Did you say my name?” Sif called and Thor and Volstagg laughed. She grinned and jumped over the table top to grab up the subs, dog still under her arm. “Is Thor complaining to you about me?”

“Always.” Thor said kissing her as she turned to take the subs back to the table. Volstagg slapped two more sandwiches down. _Hel_ and _F.R._ The Helheim, made with chili bread and every hot food ever, and The French Revolution. Thor didn’t even know what was on that one.

“Hey Volstagg, might I ask something of you?” Volstagg shrugged. “I witnessed something in the water this morning.”

“Forsooth?”                                              

“Yeah. It bore resemblance to a giant snake or something. Out past The Point.” Thor leaned his elbows against the counter. “Do you think…?” Volstagg shrugged.

“The water plays tricks on our mind.” Volstagg said. “It makes us see things we don’t understand. We can learn so much from the water, if we just listen. But it can also hide things from us.” Thor nodded.

“Yeah. I know.” He sighed. “Can we get four sodas too? You beheld Hogun today?”

Volstagg shook his head. “He was suppose to be here half and hour ago. I believe him to be at the dojo.” Thor nodded and grabbed up the four glass bottles of Asgardia’s finest apple soda.

“Thanks, man.” Thor winked and grabbed the sandwiches, tapping them once against the counter before turning and heading toward his friends. As he turned the door to the shop opened, the bell jingling to announce the arrival of two new costumers. Thor’s eyes ghosted over the first woman, dark hair, red lips, glasses, but they stuck on the second one, who was talking rapidly to the first, gesturing wildly. She was small. Tiny really, with mousey hair. She was so not one of the girls he normally saw around town, and she was _different_. Thor had a tiny fleeting thought of bringing her home to meet his father. After his last serious relationship, his father would probably be glad he was bringing home anyone.

“Thor!” Sif shouted just as Thor walked directly into the small mousey girl.

 

*

 

“Odin’s festering—I’m so sorry!” The big blonde man said stooping to pick up the book he’d knocked out of her hands, which was laying next to the sandwiches he’d dropped.

“Watch where you’re going, will you?” Jane said grabbing the book from him, “A big guy like you should be more careful.”

“I said I was sorry.” he responded. “You need not be so rude.”

“Rude.” Jane rolled her eyes and crossed her arms and tried very hard not to look at him. “Just. Don’t. I… Uh…” He was nearly 7’ with beautiful blonde hair that hung down around his shoulders, a few day’s worth of stubble and eyes that were like the sky. He was wearing plain jeans and flip flops and a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up. A necklace of abalone and strange black shells grinned down at her. He grinned at her as well.

“You are new to Asgardia, are you not?” He asked and Darcy nodded pinching Jane’s arm.

“Yeah we are.” She nodded, the man smiled.

“I am Thor.” He said and gestured to the table in the corner with the sandwiches he’d retrieved. “And these are my companions.” The tabled had seemed to be watching the events with quite interest and quickly attempted to look busy. Darcy pushed Jane toward the table urgently. Jane shoot her and look and Darcy responded with her own.

“This is Sif and Baldur, my brother. And Steamboat our dog,” Thor said motioning with his sandwiches to a very pretty woman with dark hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, and a younger man with think dark brown dreadlocks and very little resemblance to Thor. The dog was nosing through the woman’s sandwich. “That is Volstagg.” He pointed to the round man behind the counter “And that is the very Dishonorable Fandral.” Another blonde with a wicked curled mustache winked and stood up, extending a hand to the two.

“Well met, pretty ladies.” He said and motioned to the empty spaces at the table. “Join us, yes? We are always pleased to accommodate new faces.”

“Yeah! Sounds great!” Darcy nodded pushing Jane toward the empty chairs Thor had retrieved for them. “I’m Darcy. Darcy Lewis. And this is Jane Foster.”

“Well met, Jane Foster.” Thor smiled as he pushed Jane’s chair in for her.

“Well. Uh. We just came to get a bite to eat.” Jane said, shifting. “We really should get back… I’ve got unpacking to do.” Darcy rolled her eyes.

“You’re boxes of research can _wait_ , Jane.” She said.

“Research?” Thor asked. He’d placed Jane right next to him with Darcy on her other side.

“Erm… Yeah. I’m a scientist.” She nodded and Darcy went off to order them food. Jane fought the urge to follow her. These people were godly, with good looks and perfect hair and it was intimidating, but Jane sat herself up straighten and refused to shy away from them. Hell, maybe one of them had a boat.

“Science, making the world a little less mysterious.” The one named Baldur sighed, but Jane hardly heard him. If she had a boat she could get out there and actually and find some proof instead of just showing more statistics and graphs and “possibles” as the other professors called them. Real hard hitting evidence of something out there under the surface. She could get that grant, and her name in the paper, and Jesus she could get a job.

“What is your field?” Sif asked leaning across the table, one of her eyebrows raised. Steamboat barked and grinned.

“What?” Jane asked, lost in her thoughts.

“Your field.” Sif repeated and Jane blushed.

“Cryptozoology.” Jane responded. “It’s the study of undiscovered animals.”

“Or a wild goose chase.” Sif grinned and Jane tried to smoother the bitterness that rose inside her. This girl was just teasing her, Jane told herself, don’t respond. Darcy had returned with the sandwiches and sodas and Jane watched Thor pop the bottle caps off of them out of the corner of her eye.

“Thanks.” She said taking the soda from him. He smiled goodheartedly at her and she smiled back.

“You are new to town,” Thor said, Jane wiped her mouth. The rest of the table seemed unconcerned with manners. “Therefore we must have a toast!” He exclaimed and the others agreed loudly. “To new companions! And new adventures!” He and his friends cheered and toasted loudly, clinking their bottles to Jane and Darcy’s roughly.

“Where do you two hail from?” Baldur asked with a tilt of his head.

“Midgard.” Darcy nodded. “New Mexico to be specific.”

“Then you must allow us show you around a bit.” Fandral grinned. “There’s no one who knows Asgardia better than us!” Sif nodded in agreement and Thor grinned. Jane gave a laugh.

“Only if you can show me where to get a job.” She said and Fandral’s arm shoot out at her.

“Volstagg!” He shouted standing up. “This girl needs a gig and you are lacking dedicated employees! A match made in Valhalla!” Jane turned around and smiled at the big man behind the counter.

“I’m dedicated I swear.” Jane nodded and Volstagg laughed.

“Well I guess that is better than my current help. You’re hired.” He nodded once as if the matter was decided.

“Hel and damnation!” Sif shouted slamming her hands down on the table and wrenching Fandral’s arm toward her to look at his watch. “Shit! We must depart or we’ll be late! It’s almost nine!” Suddenly the entire café was sparked into action as its patrons started to gather their things. It was as if the air itself was suddenly alive with activity, sparking like a fuse. 

“What?” Jane asked as the group started gathering their things. “What’s going on?”

“Some wealthy villain vainly wishes to bulldoze a section of Asgardia’s beautiful coastline for a fucking _housing_ development. He needs only to acquire one more sponsor and then he can begin work on his monstrosity.” Sif explained hurrying out the door and impatiently waiting for her companions.

“And there’s a public announcement type of things for it today.” Fandral said, rushing past Jane, “Which we are protesting.” He grinned brilliantly. “Speaking of, Volstagg you got the signs?”

“No. I forgot them at home.” He replied with a raise of his eyebrows toward Fandral, flipping the sign on the door to ‘closed’. “Do you think me totally incompetent?” Fandral paused. “They’re in the van.”

“Sweet,” Fandral high fived him.

“This is so radical.” Darcy said as they were swept out into the street with the others. “Can we come?”

“If you wish. We need all the support we can get, honestly.” Sif said sliding into the white doorless Jeep parked outside. “You guys require a lift?” Darcy nodded and Sif jerked her thumb to the backseat. “Hop on in.”

“Darcy!” Jane hissed as her friend slid into the Jeep. “We have to get home.”

“Relax. It’s the morning.” Darcy said “We can unpack later. It’s not like you can start working, you still don’t have a boat.” Jane glared at her and felt Thor’s large hand on her back. She turned, looking up at him. He smiled.

“Are you accompanying us, Jane Foster?” Thor asked, his seat pushed forward to make it easier for Jane to climb in. Sif was tapping her finger to the wheel as Volstagg pulled around the street corner in an old VW bus. As he slowed to a stop at the intersection, Fandral yanked open the sliding door and jumped in.

“I suppose.” Jane said, climbing into the Jeep. Darcy was grinning excitedly next to her. Jane rolled her eyes.

“I advise you to hold on.” Sif said as she pulled out of the parking space and gunned the engine, shooting down the street, followed closely by a rusty blue car. Baldur waved excitedly at Jane, Steamboat jumping up and down in the passenger seat. Jane slumped back into her seat. This was far from her original plan for the day.

 

*

 

“Here.” Thor was standing over her, holding a blanket out to her. Jane smiled at him and took the heavy wool afghan, spreading it over her lap, hugging it to her chest. After the protest, they had spent the day drifting around Asgardia in Sif’s doorless Jeep, heading to all the places in town that had the best vintage movies and the best surfing gear and the best tacos and, above all else, the best supplies for beading. Jane and Darcy had been introduced to The Tiger’s Eye Bowling Alley, The Bifrost (which was a bar not an ice cream shop) and Frostbite Ice Cream, as well as plenty of beaches before finally ending up at Sif’s house, which seemed to be the central meeting place for them.

“Thanks,” Jane said as Thor wrestled the metal framed chair into submission before sitting down. “I didn’t know it got so cold at night here.” Thor grinned and tipped the metal stein in his hand back to meet his lips. He was drinking some of Hogun’s home brewed mead. Jane liked Hogun. He was quiet and very ‘zen’ as her mother would have called it. Currently Fandral and he were arguing about wiring to put an electrical plug on Sif’s back porch. Sif had recently kicked them off building a fire in her fire pit because “you’ll just blow it up again!”

“Did you have an enjoyable time today?” Thor asked as the Sif’s fire flared up and Baldur and Darcy cheered. Steamboat barked and waged his tail, jumping into Baldur’s lap.

“You know, I did. I really did.” Jane nodded and smiled. She’d opted for one of the apple beers out of Sif’s refrigerator.

“Good.” Thor grinned and Sif stood suddenly, turning to face the doorway behind them with whip-like reflexes.

“Boys!” She shouted and Jane and Thor turned to see Fandral and Hogun wielding an axe and a piece of chalk, there were what looked like thin faint lines on Sif’s back wall. “You put the axe back in the coat closet and leave my walls alone, you hear?” Thor, Baldur and Volstagg laughed and Hogun and Fandral argued farther on whose plan this had been before Sif stalked over to them and wrenched the axe from their hands.

“No.” She said, returning to the fire pit, followed closely by the other two. Jane wasn’t sure why Fandral wasn’t freezing, he barely had any clothing on.

“It’s late.” Jane announced finally, glancing down at her phone. She had three text messages from her ex. “I need to get home. I’ve actually got to do work tomorrow.” She huffed a sigh and stood up, stretching out her arms.

“What kind of work?” Sif asked, one arm thrown around Thor’s neck, one of his big arms around her waist.

“I have to find a boat,” Jane explained. “One that’s willing to take me out into the ocean so I can get some actual concrete evidence.”

“Thor has a boat.” Fandral announced. “Or, I mean to say Baldur has a boat, seeing as it’s technically his…”

“No man, she choose Thor,” Baldur said exhaling a cloud of smoke and tapping off his joint into the fire. “Skidbladnir is his.” Baldur nodded happily.

“Do you really have a boat?” Jane asked excitement bubbling up in her. Darcy laughed somewhere in the background. “Oh my god, if I had a boat. My life would be maaade! Please. Please let me borrow your boat.” Jane exclaimed and Thor laughed.

“Sure.” Thor shrugged “It is only a sailboat though, is that still alright?” Jane raised her eyebrows and laughed.

“ _Only_ a sailboat, whereas I was expecting to hire a rowboat...” She whispered. “Uh yeah I think that’s fine.”

“Verily.” Thor grinned and patted Sif’s butt to dislodge her from his lap before he rose and swallowed the last bit of his mead. “Shall we?”

“What?” Jane asked staring up at him with big eyes. She could see Sif smirking behind them. “Not now. I don’t need your boat now. I was thinking like. Next week.” Thor laughed.

“No, I meant only if we should depart so I can take you home.” He grinned “But if you wish, night boating is quite enjoyable.” The group laughed and Jane blushed, her eyes going to the stein in Thor’s hand.

“Should you really be driving, I mean, just… uh.” She cleared her throat and Fandral laughed.

“You need not worry about Thor, he can hold his liquor better than the lot of us.” He laughed and Hogun grunted. “With the exception of the quite tolerant Hogun, that is.”

“Uh. Okay then…” Jane shrugged. “Darc, you coming?” She was only answered with giggles and a few snorts. “I guess not. Shall we then?” Thor smiled again and Jane made her way toward the house. She glanced over her shoulder to see Thor and Sif kiss briefly, backlit by the fire. They looked like a Renaissance paintings of Adam and Eve before temptation, god-like and glowing, perfectly sculpted bodies, beautiful and flawless. Jane looked away quickly, tucking some hair behind her ear. Thor was there suddenly, at her elbow (or more, she was at his), with Sif’s keys in his hand.

“Let’s go.”

Jane nodded and followed him through the house, through the big bay doors and the little kitchen, down the narrow hallway, past the narrow bedroom and the even smaller bathroom, navigating through the cluttered furniture in the living room and finally out onto the wrap around porch. Sif’s house hadn’t been what Jane was expecting, it was small and narrow, sandwiched between a big house to the right and a view of the bay to the left, it was muddled with crystals and plants and big cushy chairs and carpets and clean air. Jane had spotted Sif’s surfboard, a polished wood one, propped up just inside, next to a messy bookcase and cords that led to an amplifier and electric guitar. She’d also see a two dishes for food and water for a dog in the tile kitchen, though she’d only seen Steamboat.

If Jane had thought the backyard had been cold, it had nothing on driving home in a Jeep that was barely a car anymore. Her entire body had broken out into gooseflesh by the time Thor’d pulled up to her little square beach house. She’d only told him the street and he’d managed to get there all on his own, and she was quite impressed.

“You have an amazing view,” Thor said as they got out of the car and Jane shrugged, tucking her bangs back behind her ear. “However, I can tell you that it is going to get incredibly cold during the winter months.”

“How do you even know? You haven’t even seen the view yet.” Jane told him unlocking the door and heading inside. Thor grinned.

“I know the area very well.” He said holding the door for her. “My grandmama used to live near here.” He kicked off his flip-flops at the door, letting his toes curl against the wood grain. “It’s Asgardian custom.” He explained as he followed Jane into the big sparse living room. “To take your shoes off when you enter someone’s house for the first time.”

“Oh…” Jane said, tugging at the end of her hair. She had so totally not taken for shoes off at Sif’s. Thor’s lips pulled into a light smile.

“It’s all right. Sif’s will not hold it against you. You knew not. And you’re not from here.” He said ducking to avoid on of the low rafters. “Further, it’s honestly only the old families that partake in it anymore.” He touched the wind chime lightly and laughed, a deep rumbling that Jane thought was the sea outside for a moment.

“Do you, uh, do you wanna see the view?” She asked “Or are you already unimpressed.” Thor smirked.

“If you wish to show me the view, then show me the view,” He said. “But I would be much more interested in seeing the rest of the house. And I’m sure you’d like to put some pant on, yes?” Jane looked down and nodded.

“Yeah. But all my clothing is in the truck.” She smirked back at him. “Help me move some boxes in? You owe me that much, I went to your stupid rally.” Thor laughed and shrugged.

“I am in your debt lady.”

 

It took them awhile to unload the moving truck, but they finally did, and Jane found a pair of sweats to wear while Thor managed to figure out how to get onto her roof. He was setting up a telescope for her when he heard rustling around on the ground. Peering over the end of the roof Thor spotted the tiny Jane Foster with a pair of folding chairs and two beers making her rickety way up the wooden stairs that had been built onto the side of the house.

“Are you in need of assistance?” He called to her and she shook her head, hoisting the chair onto the roof and letting out a breath. She shivered.

“It is cold here.” Jane laughed handing him one of the beers and opening up her chair. “But it’s a great view.”

“So you admit, then,” Thor said, sitting next to her. “That I was right.” They sat for a few moment in silence, listening only to the crash of the waves upon the rocks and the wind in the trees.

“That is one of my favorite sounds.” Thor announced suddenly and Jane glanced at him. “The waves.” He clarified. Jane smiled.

“You really love the water don’t you? Is that why you surf? Because you love it so much?” She asked and he nodded.

“Verily. Seven of the greatest moments of my life have happened in the water.” He told her. “And three of the worst.”

“What were they, the seven?” Jane asked and Thor glanced down, grinning to himself.

“Well.” He said after swallowing a mouthful of beer. Thor told her about swimming with whale sharks once, and finding a ship wreck just off the coast, and of swimming out to an island once and just sitting there until his parents showed up with the coast guard. He told her about saving a woman from drowning, and the first time he went night diving and about his father teaching him to surf.

“And well, number seven would be when I fell in love.” He smiled and Jane could see a blush covering the tops of his cheekbones. “I correct myself, seven would be when I realized I was in love.” He corrected himself and pulled his long legs up onto the chair like a child might.

“And what happened to her?” Jane asked watching at him carefully.

“They uh… They left. They went away, about five years ago.” He swallowed and looked down again, one hand gently brushing over the shells around his neck. “You said you were here for research.” Thor said, changing the subject gently and Jane nodded. “What kind? What is it that you are looking for out there?” Jane cleared her throat.

“Well. Uh… I believe, and I mean, there are other who believe this too, mind, that uh… there is an undiscovered species of marine life out there in the ocean, and they are responsible for the uh… the recent global changes that have been erm… effecting us lately, like the global warming and the changing temperature and depth of the ocean…” She nodded finally, as if to assure herself of her theories.

“So…” Thor said finally, his brows drawn tighter. “You believe that… A sea monster is the culprit or the… the reason our world is in such a ghastly state?” He asked, his face breaking out into a grin at the last moment. Jane groaned and covered her face.

“Yes. Yes I do.” She said through her hands. “I know it sounds ridiculous but, I mean, I have proof! Well. Sort of.” Thor laughed and reached out to wrap one of his arms around her shoulders. She laughed lightly too as he squeezed.

“Well then,” He said, reminded dimly of whatever he saw in the ocean the other morning. “I wish you all the luck in the worlds, and would be honored to help you prove your sea monster theory.”

 

*

 

Jane stumbled out of her new bedroom, rubbing her head and blinking blearily around at in the bright light that streamed in from the countless windows. Fuck it was bright, she thought as she stumbled toward the closest set, pulling the blinds down over them. She’d had a long night, and she refused to expect that she was hungover, even just a little, because scientists didn’t get hangovers. Jane rubbed her head and leaned briefly against the hallway, before staggering into the kitchen, bumping one of her bare legs into a stack of boxes. She cursed and rubbed her eyes again.

“Good morrow, lady.”

Her head jerked up, sleep tossed hair falling into her face. That wasn’t Darcy’s voice.

Thor was standing before her, at the counter with her electric kettle a tin of tea and four mugs. He smiled at her, wearing the same cloths he’d worn yesterday, his hair sticking up in odd angles itself.

“Oh. Uh… Morning.” Jane said looking around her kitchen. He’d done some unpacking it looked like, as well as a run to the shopping market, judging by the fact she’d never seen the tin of tea he held before in her life.

“I hope you mind not,” He said, gesturing to the open boxes and an unpacked stack of plates. “I had to find the mugs.” Jane shrugged and pulled the hem of her oversized t-shirt lower, even though it seemed like Thor was very uninterested by the amount of skin she was showing.

“I’ve made you some tea.” He said holding the mug out to her. Jane took the big yellow John Wayne mug gratefully, taking a deep breath. The tea smelled like smoke and sugar and dirt. “It is uh, loose leaf, so I bought you and Darcy a couple of these, as well.” He held out a long silver straw with small section of mesh at the bottom and a flattened mouth piece. “Bagged tea is somewhat a rare find around these parts, so think of it as a house warming present.” Thor smiled brightly.

“Oh. Well. Um. Thanks.” Jane smiled examining the straw before popping it into the mug of tea. “Last night was, uh… was… fun…” She ventured, admitting to herself she didn’t remember most of it.

“You do not remember it very well do you?” Thor laughed and Jane shook her head.

“Judging from the boxes, I’d say you helped me move in.” She said.

“You would be in that regard, then.” He said taking a drink of his tea and leaning against the counter. “I helped you move some things in and then we talked for a long time and you told me all about you sea monster theory and then you fell asleep and I slept on the sofa.”

“Oh. Okay. Well.” Jane cleared her throat. “I told you my theory, did I?” Thor nodded. “Okay. Well. You haven’t run for the hills, so I guess that’s a good sign?” Thor shrugged and took another drink of his tea.

“You also did a drunken striptease.” He told her. Jane chocked thickly on her drink and the color drained from her face until Thor laughed and told her he was just kidding.

“You’re a dick.” She said, trying not the grin as the door across the hall from them was flung open and Darcy wondered out in a tank top that was askew and Baldur’s hand clasped tightly in her’s, Steamboat running wildly around their feet. Thor nodded and turned to pour hot water into the last two remaining mugs.

“Morning fellow mortals.” Darcy giggled winking at Jane. “I guess I wasn’t the only one who got a welcome to Asgardia present was I?” She wiggled her eyebrows and Jane scowled at her.

“Here.” Thor said handing them tea. Baldur immediately took his tea to the refrigerator and poured milk into it until it was a smoky brown color. “Have you a plan for today?” Thor asked him and Baldur shrugged.

“Catch a few waves. Call in at the record store. Surf some more. Darcy expressed a wish for me to teach her the art of surfing last night.” He shrugged again and looked around.

“Naturally. I’ve got to call around Sif’s to reacquire my board. I left it there a couple nights ago.” Thor said. “I should probably return her car moreover.”

“Yeah… Perhaps.” Baldur grinned. “Have you a copy of today’s paper?” Thor tossed him a bundled up newspaper, which Baldur caught one handed, pulled the rubber band off with his teeth. Jane looked between them and smiled. They were brothers like she’d always imagined brothers to be. They’d lived together forever and knew what the other one wanted it seemed, making natural, candid conversation across the kitchen as Darcy searched through the fridge. Jane caught, out of the corner of her eye, Thor raising his eyebrows at Baldur in Darcy general direction, an unspoken question, to which Baldur answered with a thumbs up and a hand motion like he was holding a melon in one hand. Thor laughed as Darcy pulled out eggs and butter heading toward the stove.

“Wait a minute.” Jane said grabbing the paper out of Baldur’s hand, twisting it around to read the headline.

SEA MONSTERS OFF THE POINT? The paper read, and was accompanied with a photograph of one of Asgardia’s residents holding up a long green oval shaped thing, about the length of Jane’s arm, one end rounded and smooth while the other was jagged and rough.

“Oh my god… Darcy! Darcy look at this!” Jane shouted shoving the paper into Darcy’s hands. “That’s a _scale_ Darcy. Like the kind reptiles or fish have. A _scale_!” She cried, “I told you! I told you this was the place to come!” Jane punched the air triumphantly and rushed off into her room, slamming the door behind her. Darcy sighed as Jane ran back out of the room with a box and started the rifling through it, sticking photos and newspaper clippings to the big windows in their living room with pieces of clear tape.

“You guys better jet.” Darcy said watching Jane. “She’d gonna be in a science frenzy all day, and trust me, it’s gonna better to be out on the beach then in here.” Baldur shrugged and leaned down, to plant a sweet kiss on Darcy’s cheek before disappearing to grab his clothing tell Darcy he’d be on one of the beaches all day if she still wanted to surf, just ask for him and someone would probably be able to tell her where to find him.

“Here,” Thor said scribbling down his number on a piece of paper. “Give this to Jane, and tell her that my offer to take her out on Skidbladnir still stands and that if she wishes to tell me anymore of her theories she can always give me a ring.” He nodded and grabbed the messenger bag on the counter, headed out with Baldur, casting one last look in Jane’s direction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who's actually reading this, thanks man.


	3. Once Upon A Time, The Golden Son Had a Not-So-Golden Brother

Chapter 3: Once Upon A Time, The Golden Son Had a Not-So-Golden Brother.

        

Waves lapped lazily at Thor’s toes, as if they were the tongues of tiny beasts, coaxing him into the swell. He remembered, as if it was the other day, the first time his father had taken him surfing. It had been in the summer. Or had it? Maybe he couldn’t remember it as if it was yesterday. The details were foggy, yes, but the memory of the feeling wasn’t. But even as he padded out into the water, he couldn’t quite gasp that day clearly in his mind. No matter, he told himself, shaking the water out of his hair like bad memories and sitting to watch the crystal water around him. Sif was on the beach, playing volleyball with Baldur, and he could make out her stripped bikini as she drove through the sand. Thor looked back and watched as waves rolled in, and were instantly over taken by other surfers, tourists and teenagers.

“This is bullshit man.” Fandral said kicking his foot under the water. “I hate this beach. It is always so swarming with peasents.” Hogun nodded his agreement and Thor shrugged, shading his eyes and looking out farther toward the horizon.

“We could head out there.” He suggested and pointed beyond the immediate waves, to much farther out, where the waves broke more savagely, creating the calm one that were washing up to the great population of the beach.

“Out there?” Fandral asked, a hand breaking the water to run though his hair. “Verily. Verily, we could head out there. And we could _die_.” He looked back at Thor as if he was crazy, his mustache drooping slightly. Thor snorted.

“Coward.” He said. “I’ve seen you take more dangerous waves then that.”

“And I found myself in the hospital, breathing through a tube.” Fandral countered before looking over his shoulder at the group of girls he’d left on the beach. Thor followed his gaze and rolled his eyes. “Besides… I do not wish to embarrass myself.” He winked over at them and stretched and Thor was convinced that they couldn't actually see Fandral.

“You are a coward.” Thor said before directing his gaze to Hogun. “Will you accompany me or are you too cowardly as well?” Hogun shrugged and kicked his feet up onto his board to begin paddling toward the area Thor’d pointed out. Thor grinned at Fandral before following Hogun and Fandral made a dismissive motion to Thor’s back.

“We should not be here.” Hogun told Thor once he’d caught up with him, and they sat just beyond the new break zone.

“Tell me, in all the long years you have known me, have I ever lead you into a situation that was potentially dangerous?” Thor said, quirking his eyebrows at Hogun's strightline expression.

“Yes.” Hogun nodded. “Many times.” Thor grinned at him.

“Which is exactly why you are my mate, is it not?”

“You are my friend because you stowed away on my boat when you were the age of twelve.” Hogun said “And then you blackmailed Fandral, Volstagg and I into being your friends.” Thor waved a hand at him and clicked his tongue.

“I was fourteen you cad.” Thor told him watching waves build. “I’m going to take this wave.” He told Hogun. “Unless you object.” Hogun remained silent and Thor grinned paddling out to meet the big wave he’d watched from the horizon. He took the wave well, a rode it even better, listening to the roar of the water and the beating of his own heart as a cadence. His father had told him once, that when you put a shell up to your ear and could hear the ocean, you were only hearing your own blood pumping, but your heart and the ocean were the same thing, and you had to trust both. Sif had told him once that she didn’t think his heart pumped blood anymore, but sea water. He couldn’t even physically explain his obsession with the water, it was just his life and when he rode waves, especially ones like this one, he banished all other thoughts from him, and it was him and the ocean and he was happy and he didn't think about his brother. Hogun high fived him when he got back and Thor grinned, this was much better than watching arrogant seventeen-year-olds steal his waves and then ride them poorly.

Thor did a 360 degree flip in the middle of his next ride and when he landed it he could hear faint cheering from the beach.

His next ride wasn’t as fantastic. He mounted the wave fine, and his pop-up was fine, but his old bad knee gave out halfway through and the tip of his board was caught under the current and he before he had a thought he was knocked under by the rapid churning of the water, like gunfire. The air was knocked from his lungs and he could barely see through the multitude of bubbles that surrounded him. His father had told him, keep your eyes open, and he tried but he didn’t know which way was up or down, and he could feel the bracelet around his ankle tugging at him. Finally, after a moment of dizzying breathlessness, Thor was struck by the calm that surrounded him, the peacefulness of the water, and its ability to destroy him in a single moment. There was nothing but silence, stopping up his ears and squeezing against his chest. Thor shook himself, before he got too comfortable and propelled himself upwards, too lazy to wait for the water to carry him back up. But he was far from lucky when another wave broke over him and pushed him farther down and out. Trying to keep his mind calm, Thor opened his eyes and tried to swim up again, but was knocked down again, by another silent wave. When he opened his eyes again this time he could see lights, way off in the distance, glowing and blinking and bright. They were a distant kind of blue color, like the bioluminescents of fish, dancing through the depth, and Thor would have stayed beneath for far too long if his board hadn’t tugged again at his ankle, impatiently, like a child. Writing the lights off as lack of oxygen, or bioluminescent snails, he kicked against the water again and managed to reach the surface.

Coughing and sputtering water, Thor waved Hogun down, nearly 25 feet off and managed to get back on his board as Hogun paddled over.

“I was just about to go down after you.” Hogun told him, helping him onto his board. “You alright?”

“Fine.” Thor said, but his hands shook and Hogun clapped his shoulder. “I saw something down there.” He glanced at Hogun. “Lights. I saw lights.” Hogun nodded and Thor smothered the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m going to head back to the beach.” Hogun nodded again and it seemed he’d used up his allowance of words for the day.

 

Thor rolled his shoulders as he waded out of the water that streamed down off his legs and out of his hair. Sif was lounging on the beach before him, on her towel, in her stripped bikini, watching him with a bemused expression that hid a trace of worry. Thor stuck his board in the sand next to her and flopped down next to her on to his towel.

“What?” He asked glancing at her. Sif shrugged and moved one of the tiny braids that had stuck, wetly, to his face,

“Naught. I merely like you.” She replied walking a pair of fingers across his chest. Her nails were painted dark purple and they made her fingers look pale. “I enjoy watching you surf.” She grinned at him and Thor raised an eyebrow. “I certainly enjoy watching you wipe out.” Thor scowled at her and pushed her away from him into the sand. Sif laughed at him.

“And how did your night come to pass?” She asked. Thor shrugged. “You didn’t bed her.”

“No.” Thor said. “Did you think I would?” Sif shrugged in response. They were quiet for a little while, before Sif sat up and curled her legs up against her chest.

“Don’t, okay?”

Thor laughed. “I thought you cared less who I bedded?”

“I don’t.” She said. “But he does.” Thor swallowed and looked up, into the clear blue sky above them. “I wish only that you would not get hurt again.” She said.

“I won’t.” Thor responded. “Besides it matters not, he would never know, it is not as if he’s coming back anytime soon.”

“You can by no means be certain of that.” Sif said. Thor didn’t reply to her, turning his head to the other side, watching the other people on the beach. A pair of kids were running in and out of the water and shrieking happily, while their parents watched. There were plenty of other people with boards out today, he spotted his brother in the water still, and Fandral and Hogun as well. A group of teenagers were playing volleyball near them.

“Speak of the devil.” Sif said and Thor jumped up, looking around to the direction Sif was facing. He felt ridiculous as soon as he did so, there was no way _he_ was going to show up on one of Asgardia’s beaches. Instead Darcy and Jane were wondering toward them, Jane a little aimlessly, while Darcy dragged her along grinning and waving. Steamboat stood up and barked at them happily.

“Afternoon ladies.” Sif called winking at them. “How was your first night in Asgardia?”

“Couldn’t have been better.” Darcy grinned as they reached Sif and Thor. “Baldur here?” Sif pointed out into the water.

“However,” She said looked up at Darcy and grinning wickedly. “If you wish to learn to surf, I would be pleased to take you out myself.” Sif licked her lips and Darcy smirked.

“Radical.” She grinned down at Sif. Sif stood and brushed sand off herself, jerking her head toward the water.

“Thor, make sure you get not into too much trouble while I am absent, yes?” Thor had resumed his seat on the towels and he glanced up at Sif with a cocked eyebrow.

“Same should be said for you.” He told her as she headed off with Darcy, board under her arm. He laughed through his nose, a short sharp sigh of laughter as Jane sat down next to him, Steamboat leaping into her lap to try and lick her face. She had put on pants since he’d last seen her, but she was still wearing the same oversized t-shirt. It was light yellow and hung down just over her knees, adorned with holes and the round image of a mallard duck.

“Should I be worried for Darcy’s safety?” Jane asked smiling lightly, watching her friends retreating shape. Thor smirked.

“I would say you should be worried for her virtue, but I seem to have the impression that Darcy doesn’t have much virtue to be lost.” Thor said leaning back into the sand, reaching around for his sunglasses. “I did not think I was going to see you today, what with the article in the news.” Jane laughed lightly and looked down at the sand. Thor thought momentarily of the lights again.

“Yeah.” She said “Darcy convinced me, and by convinced I mean tricked.” Thor glanced at her and she sighed. “She said we were gonna go get some food, and well, we ended up here.” She laughed again and shook her head.

“Are you hungry?” Thor asked and Jane lifted on of her shoulders up in a noncommittal gesture. “Come on.” He stood up and shook any sand out of his hair. “We can go get some food and I can show around Asgardian some more. Sound nice?” Jane smiled and stood up as well.

“Sure.” She grinned as Thor grabbed the keys from Sif’s bag. “Uh, but should you really leave Sif’s stuff unattended like that?” Thor looked down at the bag and her towel, pulling his board out of the sand.

“What? Oh no one’ll steal her possessions, Asgardia is quite benign. We tend to leave our doors unlocked at night around here.” He said pulling his wet hair back into a ponytail at the back of his head, “Come now, and let us go.” Thor grinned down at her and didn’t wait as he grabbed his board and his bag, making his way up to the asphalt parking lot, his dog barking at them before turning and running away, toward Baldur. He shouldn’t be leaving, especially not with her, but there was something addictively bad about being around Jane. She was pretty and tiny and fiery and he liked that and he liked the way he felt around her and sure deep down he knew that he was only ever going to be _in love_ with one person… But maybe, just maybe there was something there.

They drove for a while, listening to a local radio station that was playing songs about leaving and coming home, with the wind ripping through their hair and cloths with sharp fingers that bit at Jane’s cheeks and turned them red. Thor's smile faded and he drove faster, as if he was running from the town. At some point they turned off the main highway and stopped at a roadside stand that sold various kinds of roasted meat and apples as well as handmade apple cider.

“So, apples huh?” Jane asked as Thor handed a cardboard plate with a pile of shredded meat and a small tub of sauce to her.

“What? Oh. The apples, yeah.” Thor said pulling his wallet out of his pocket and flipping through the bills one handed. He had two bottles of the cider held close to his chest, and his own cardboard plate in his hand, and as he struggled with his wallet he stuck his tongue out between his teeth.

“Shit, I only have a tenner,” Thor said and looked up at the man behind the stand. The man waved his hand at Thor and pushed the box of apples sitting on the stand before them toward Thor. The man was old and the skin of his face was withered and sun baked, and Thor’d always thought the old man had looked like shoe leather.

“That’s alright boy,” The man said and Thor patted his pockets pulling out a handful of loose change. The man waved off Thor’s change and took the ten bill telling Thor he’d just over charge him the next time.

“Thanks Mimir.” Thor said with a wink, and a wave.

“Do you surf with change in your trunks?” Jane asked, her eyebrows raised as she grabbed up the box and they headed toward the Jeep. Thor dumped the change back into his pocket and shrugged.

“Sometimes.” He said grinning. “You asked about the apples.” He slid into the car quite gracefully burdened down as he was, while Jane wriggled in and almost fell over. He helped her in finally.

“Yes.” She said a bit breathlessly. “I did.” Thor threw the Jeep into gear and headed out to the road again, driving slower so they could eat.

“Apples are one of our biggest industries.” Thor said through a mouthful of meat. “Apples from Asgard, processed and unprocessed gems from Nídavellír, gold from Jotunheim, textiles from Vanaheim, weapons and other killing methods from Niflheim. You get the idea.” Thor smiled at Jane as they kept driving, leaning forward to turn the radio up louder, to drowned out his own loud thoughts. He thought, that maybe, he could just keep driving for a long time and everything would go away and he wouldn’t feel so lonely anymore. But then, that’s what his brother did wasn’t it? Run away. Thor swallowed and pushed the accelerator down harder as his throat grew tighter, unbidden memories spilling back. Just why couldn’t things go back to the way they had been? But then, he didn’t want then to go back to the way it had been, the way it had been had been better, but worse at the same time.

The coast was speeding by and Thor remembered the first time he and his friends had driven out this way. Fandral and Hogun had heard about this place for perfect surfing at one of the surf shops in town and the group had piled into Volstagg’s van to try to find it. It was off the highway and down a little hidden road that crisscrossed the cliff face until it reached a beach of perfection that defied words, and they’d missed it the first time they’d made the trip, but now the turn was like second nature. Thor made the turn sharply and tossed Jane against the door with a mumbled apology before heading down the rocky path, overgrown with trees that hid the true majesty from view until they came out on a ledge. Thor threw the jeep into park and grinned at the look on Jane’s face. The ledge over looked the ocean, its deep blue-green water drifting slowly together and over the bulbous coral reefs perched just below the surface, before lapping pleasantly at the beach below them. Some of the coast line was broken up by black rocks, forming pools that ranged in size, while the cliff across from them were the same deep black color, and the foliage that grew across its face was the green that only grew in Asgard.

“Wow.” Jane said, barley more than a whisper as she climbed out of the Jeep to stand in awe of the sight. Thor grinned and got out as well, grabbing the apples and cider from the car, bringing them over to the lip of the ledge, where he sat down and motioned for Jane to join him.

“This place is incredible.” She whispered, the cardboard plate still cradled in her lap. “And you live here and you get to see this every day. It’s amazing.” She looked up at him and her eyes were shining with admiration and something close to wonder.

“And now you live here as well.” Thor told her opening the twist caps on the bottles of cinder with a snap before handing her one. “This is why we do what we do. You inquired of me why I surfed. This is it. All of this. The water and the land and the way the water and the land meet, almost cataclysmically, like two forces that would be better off staying far away from each other by just cannot find it in themselves to do that. This is why Sif protests, this is why Baldur lives in his car, this is why Volstagg makes the most delicious sandwiches, this is why Fandral loves all the girls he loves, and this is why Hogun does not talk. The water is how we found ourselves, and it makes us do the bravest and more valiant things and it makes us do the stupidest things. It is our home, and our parents, our teacher and our guide, it makes up the bits of us we have yet to understand and it fills in the bits we are missing.” Thor reached back into the box of apples and tossed it to Jane who barely caught it. “People here used to believe that if you ate apples you’d live forever. Now we just throw the cores into the ocean and make a wish in the name of Njord, the god of the sea.”

“Are you going to make a wish too?” Jane asked examining the apple he gave her. Thor shrugged and didn’t make any move to get his own. Jane rolled her eyes and reached over to pull and apple out of the box, tossing it to him. “What, mister big bad spiritual surfer boy is too good for apple wishing?” she teased, taking a bit of her apple. Thor watched as she chewed and swallowed before bringing his apple up to his mouth. The apples were tart and sweet and juice ran down his chin and it hurt the cut on the roof of his mouth and the tiny split in his lip but it tasted good and he and Jane eat in silence.

“So.” Jane said examining her apple core. “I just throw this in there?” She gestured to the water. “Do I have to saw my wish out loud or something?” Thor shrugged.

“It differs depending on what you believe.” He told her. “Hogun makes it a true offering, Sif always recites them out loud, as if the more people that hear it, the more likely it is to become a reality.”

“Do you?”

Thor shrugged again.

“I do not really do this much anymore.”

Jane looked down at her apple once more and then out at the ocean. “I wish I could find some real evidence out here.” She said before throwing the apple core as hard as she could. They watched it sail through the air before it was swallowed up by the sea. The sun was setting in their faces, beginning to sink lowly into the water. Thor threw his apple, his wish barely half formed in his mind, something about something he had at one point in his life, before the core left his hand and sailed through the air.

“What did you wish for?” Jane asked him after the apple hit the water.

“I am unsure.” He told her and pointed out to the water. “Keep watch on the horizon, if you see a flash of green when the sun sinks down below the water then that means your wish was received.” Or at least that’s what he’d been told as a child. Again they sat in silence, their feet dangling over the water, Jane’s eyes big with wonder and Thor’s downcast and painful, until he glanced up to see the very last orange and pink streaks follow the sun under the water as if he was being swallowed up by giant wolves. Just as it disappeared below the horizon a brilliant flash of green that bisected the sky, reflecting in their eyes.

“Did you see that?” Jane said, more than a whisper. “Oh wow. That was. I… Why does it do that? I wonder what the cause is… Is it a reflection of the last of the sun’s rays against the water?” Jane was mumbling to herself suddenly, pulling out her little leather journal to scribble feverously in it. Thor watched her and laughed. “What?”

“I bring you out here to glimpse one of nature’s wonders and you just want to know what caused it. Is there no magic for scientists? Can you not just leave it up to the gods’ judgment and bask in the unfathomable wonder of a moment?” He grinned and laughed again leaning back on his hands, the rocks cutting into his palms. Jane watched the wide smile fade slowly, to nothing more but the ghost of one and his blue eyes that hid a deep sorrow. Jane leaned toward him pushing the apple box out of her way as she inched closer to him. Thor leaned down toward her, reaching one large hand out, his eyes following the curve of her lips.

Just as their lips were to touch, the moment was broken, cracked like a mirror, by the deep and penetrating intro to of some song that had been popular nearly thirty years previously. Thor fumbled for his cell phone, dressed in a beat up black case, pulling it out of his sweatshirt pocket, cutting off the first lyric of the song.

“My apologies.” He muttered moving to ignore the call before pausing as he read the number. “Uh… Actually, I really must take this call.” Jane nodded and sat back as he stood and pressed the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hello.” Was the answer, cold and clear and so familiar Thor thought he might choke.

“Loki.” He said bringing one hand to his face to touch his forehead.

“Thor.” His brother replied. “I trust you are well? I’m at the train station.”

“I will be there in an hour.” He said. The line went dead and Thor turned toward Jane, throwing his phone onto the driver seat. “I must depart, I am very so sorry Jane Foster.” He could her crossing to where they had sat to pick up the apples and the trash.

“Oh.” Jane said nodding and standing to help. “Okay. Who was that? What’s happened?” Thor rubbed his forehead again and threw their stuff into the Jeep.

“It was my…. It is personal.” Thor told her his voice stiff. “Would it be satisfactory for me to drop you off at your house?” Jane nodded and was barely in the car before Thor pulled out and sped off down the highway, going faster than he should.

He dropped Jane off in front of her house and hardly remembered to wave goodbye to her before he was backing out of her street and heading toward the train station. Asgardia’s train station was situated in a district of downtown with plenty of shopping and even more hotels and motels, to insure that anyone who got off the train spend a decent amount of money in the immediate vicinity. Thor parked Sif’s Jeep in the lot just before the small station, in a blaze of gravel that would someday become legendary, before jumping out of the jeep and running to find his brother.

Loki had been gone for just about five long years, leaving his family and his home behind for the gods only know what, occasionally sending things back to Thor, a small wooden carving here, a postcard there, a gold earring or a clipping from a newspaper, just letting him know he was alive, but nothing more, easing the pain inside Thor’s chest only slightly, while sharpening it all the same. In those five years Loki had changed little, but more than Thor his brother mused, thinking about how he was exactly the same as the night Loki had left, a little sadder and a little older, but still the same. He spotted Loki sitting on a small wooden bench, a white sketch book across his knees, head bent low over it, think dark hair pulled back into a braid. He was wearing old jeans and a green jacket and had gold rings all up his fingers.

He looked like he should have looked the whole time.

“Hey.” Thor said quietly, playing with Sif’s keys. There was a couple sitting on another bench near them, and a woman in high heels complaining to someone on her phone. “I apologize for how late I am.” Loki looked up at him and his face did a thing that was almost a smile.

“It is quite fine. I figured you were occupied.” He said standing, tucking an all graphite pencil behind his ear.

“Can I… Can I see what you were drawing?” Thor asked pointing and Loki looked down at the sketchbook.

“No.” He responded. Loki hoisted his duffle onto his back and fiddled with the end of his braid. Thor motioned to the parking lot and took Loki’s bag from him. Loki looked as healthy as he could, his skin still pale like the moon that had risen. “I don’t remember you possessing a Jeep.” He said as they approached the Jeep, shining like a ghost, like Loki.

“I do not” Thor told him. “It is Sif's. I’ve appropriated it for the day.” They loaded themselves into it and Thor offered Loki and apple which Loki politely declined. “I have my own place now. In case you were wondering.” _We don’t have to go home to Dad’s._

“Oh. Good.” Loki nodded and fiddled with his hands. Thor reached over and took one tightly in his own hand as he pulled out of the parking lot. Loki let him. As they drove Thor talked, he told Loki all about the things Loki had missed, as if he was going through a checklist he’d made in his head. _Oh, when Loki comes back I have to tell him about ________. Loki sat in content silence, pleased with just listening to his brother. It was like it used to be, before everything got ruined, Thor would talk and Loki would listen and now at least it wasn’t meaningless trivial things, it was real things with real substance and Loki had to remind himself that five years was a long time and it seemed that his brother had done some really serious growing up in those years. Loki could see it  in the lines around Thor’s mouth, the way his held his shoulders, the strange tightness of his jaw. He was old. Maybe not old, but grown up. His brother had grown up. They’d both grown up.

Thor drove them to the marina in the bay, tall green trees giving way to lapping water and various kinds of bobbing little boats, docked at the docks. Thor pulled into a parking place, next to a couple other cars, and threw the Jeep into park.

“Well.” He said. “This is it.” Thor cleared his throat and opened the car door, playing with the keys like a nervous twitch, glancing from his brother to the boats. Loki didn’t say a word as Thor took his bag and led him through the maze of docks and monstrous white breasted boats, nodding in their sleep like gulls, until they reached a richly colored blue wooden sailing boat.

“This is Baldur’s boat.” Loki said looking up at the carved bow before them.

 “Verily.” Thor shrugged. “Baldur bequeathed her to me when I moved out.” Loki paused, watching the boat bob. “Her name is Skidbladnir.”

“You… live on a boat?” Loki said and Thor shrugged, as if attempting to appear nonchalant about it, while his heart pounded in his chest. He tossing Loki’s bag onto the deck. “Okay.” Loki nodded, reaching forward and grasping the railing on the side of the boat before pulling himself up on to the deck. Thor followed, glad his brother had accepted his current living situation with grace.

The deck was polished wood, shining under the moonlight until Thor unlocked the door that lead down into the hull, and the shining moon disappeared behind them. The interior of Thor’s boat was much like his room had been Loki thought, it was blanketed in rich colors and fabrics and clothing, books, plates and the occasional ashtray found homes on any available surface. There was a tiny bathroom and an even smaller kitchen in the first section of the boat, and then a curved U-shaped bench seat upholstered in blue and gold and a table, and then finally a curtained off section at the bow. Thor moved quickly through the boat, pulling a pair of boxers off a lamp here, hiding a dirty plate there, muttering and murmuring about how he hadn’t been expecting company and how busy he’d been lately. Loki smiled to himself, behind Thor’s back, setting his duffle and sketch pad down on the table.

“I could go quite fond of this place.” He said, fingering the fabric of the curtain. It was red and gold and Loki had seen it someplace before. “It is very _you_. The great and powerful prince of Asgardia.” He smirked at Thor. “I did not know you still smoked.” He pushed an ashtray around.

“I do not know if you have heard or not,” Thor said, reaching forward the push some of Loki’s hair out of his face. They’d stopped talking to loud, making each other lean in to hear the next word. “But I’m not a prince. And I quite. Near four years ago. Those are Fandral’s.”

“You mean to say you are not my prince charming come to take me away from the evil castle and wake me with one single kiss?” Loki asked one hand going to Thor’s neck to trace the abalone. Thor smiled a bit sadly.

“No longer. Besides, princes only save damsels in distress.” Thor ran his fingers over the sharp angels of Loki’s cheekbones. “And last time I checked,” Thor reached out a tucked a strand of hair behind Loki’s ear “you were far, far from a damsel.” He paused, eyes flicking down to Loki’s quick and sharp mouth. “I was cast out. For loving you.” He said.

“I am sorry.” Loki said and Thor bent forward.

“I am not.”

He captured Loki’s mouth quickly with his, kissing his brother in the strange manner that only Thor kissed in, soft and aggressive, like he treasured the moment so much he was worried he might forget and the harder he kissed, the less likely that was. Loki kissed him back in the ways he’d always kissed, like he talked, strange and slippery and it was intoxicating. Thor pulled Loki to him violently, crushing him against him like one might crush the petal of a rose, as if to stain himself with Loki’s essence. Loki let him, groaning happily into his brother’s mouth. Soon, they were falling through the thin fabric of the curtain that blocked off Thor’s bedroom, and Thor was pushing his hand greedily up Loki’s shirt, as though he would die if he didn’t get his skin against Loki’s. Loki laughed as they separated, and pushed his brother down onto the red sheeted mattress. His brother was always so _eager_.

Loki undid the buttons on his flannel shirt as fast as his fingers would allow, until his brother’s hand closed over both of his own. Thor took Loki’s hands away from his chest, and resumed their task slowly, unbuttoning each button and laying one soft kiss on Loki’s chest, on top of his undershirt. Thor continued down Loki’s chest, until the flannel was open, pressing the first wet kiss to Loki’s skin just above where his pants sat. Loki let out a soft moan, bringing one hand to run through Thor’s hair. Thor looked up at Loki, blue eyes sparking with something like electricity, and Loki pushed him back into the bed, climbing over his brother to straddle him.

 

The bedroom was still dark after they finished, and Thor heaved a great sigh and rolled out of his brother’s arms to turn on a light. The light was dim, a small floor lamp, that lit the room softly, as if the room had just suddenly decided to glow. Thor stood with his back to the bed for a moment or two, and Loki let his eyes lazily follow the curve of Thor’s ass, and the black swirling native tattoo that extending from his mid-thigh to mid-calf. Thor had another tattoo, of a scarab, on his ankle, four thin red lines around his bicep and a reef knot on the back of the other arm, with the words “Forget Me Not” printed above it. Loki reached over and brushed the matching tattoo on his own arm. He smiled and leaned back into the pillows, sweeping one hand up his chest, damp with sweat, until Thor returned with something clutched in his hand. There was an angry red mark on Thor’s shoulder from where Loki had bit him.

“I have had this for a good long while now,” Thor said looking down at the thing in his hand. “I meant to give it to you the day after we went night boating. But, you’d already gone, and well, I did not know where you’d gone to, otherwise I would have sent it to you.”

Thor sat back onto the bed, and dropped a length of cord into Loki’s hand, knotted at one end, to keep a small brilliant green, vaguely triangular shaped, piece of abalone shell on it. Loki smiled at the gift, looking from the necklace to his brother.

“I’m not really any good at knotting or beadwork,” Thor said. “I’m sorry it’s so simple.”

Loki shook his head. “It’s prefect. I… Thank you.” The necklace hung exactly at the end point of Loki’s sternum when he put it over his head, and Thor’s lips were on his when he looked up again.

 

There was sunlight streaming in from a tiny window in the side of the boat, and Thor groggily roused himself to answer the shrilling of his cellphone. He rubbed his face as he squinted at the caller ID, extracting one arm from under his brother’s head, rolling out of the bed. It was Sif.

“I can explain.” He said as he answered the called.

 _“Verily? You better_ fucking _be able to, Odinson”_ She said on the other end, furious it sounded like. Thor flinched and stood, pulling on some sweats. _“You stole my fucking_ car, _you pig excrement eating cow. Just because, I_ sometimes _allow you to use it_ DOES NOT _mean that you have the right to just tally off, taking it whenever it pleases, so you can get your_ rocks off _with any_ girl _that strikes you fucking fancy, you arrogant little shit_. _I considered calling the authorities on you. But alas, not only did you take my car, you abandoned me for your fit of wild pleasure. We are comrades, friends, allies and you left me for that_ girl. _Also, fuck you. I had to walk to the store for milk, so fuck you. Oh and_ fuck you. _”_ As she rambled Thor tried to calm the fury that was Sif, at least so she wouldn’t wake his brother with her accusations that she screamed into the phone, accompanied with background noises that sounded like she was throwing things. Thor apologized and tripped over something on his way to the deck, and glanced over his shoulder to the curtain behind him.

“Sif,” Thor cut in. “Sif, he’s come back.” That stilled her rage.

 _“What?”_ She said.

“Loki. He called me last night. He’s home. He’s in my bed right now.” Thor told her, sitting with his legs thrown out over the water. “I’m sorry that I took your car.” The car seemed of little consequence now, and Sif brushed it off.

 _“Is everything… Are you okay?”_ She said _“Is_ he _okay?”_ Thor smiled.

“He’s fine. I’m fine. Better than fine.” He smiled wider and looked down at the water. “I’m better than I’ve ever been in five years.” Sif was silent for a moment.

 _“That’s what I’m worried about.”_ She said finally, quietly.

“What?”

 _“Nothing. I am glad you are happy. I’m glad he’s back.”_ Sif told him _“Nonetheless. You are still on the list of my enemies for stealing my car. I advise you to begin thinking up methods to get off of it.”_ And she hung up.

“Who was that?” Thor turned to see Loki standing behind him on the deck, wrapped in a quilt he’d pulled off the bed, his long pale legs sticking like twigs out from between the folds. “They sounded rightly angered at you.”

“As they had the right to be.” Thor said reaching out and taking Loki’s hand. “Twas Sif. She is no less than furious at me for stealing her car.”

“I thought I heard you saw you had ‘appropriated’ it, last night.” Loki said, allowing his brother to nuzzle against his neck.

“More along the lines of ‘took with every honest intention of returning.’” Thor told him and looked out over the water again. “I have missed you brother.” Loki did not respond but squeezed Thor’s hand instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse the terrible wipe out and hold down scene, I have about 0 experience at being held under that much water, so y'know I talked with people who had, and I made it up, cause that's what writing is. Makin' shit up. Yeah. I hope it wasn't too terrible. Also I had a long conversation about Loki being an artist with a friend and we had differing view points, but I personally like it, so deal man. Also. The tattoos. They are just my favorite. the matching tattoos have a story too, which I came up with with a friend as well. It involves lots of drinking and Thor being a sappy fuck. Because he's always a sappy fuck.  
> Also, sorry for the grammar errors, I am just toooo tired to fix them all right now, sorry. I'm also sorry about that sea god placeholder, if you caught it, cause I totally forgot to replace it with Njord.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. You Might Grow Up, But You'll Always Come Home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! School and internships and winter and urglberg. Enjoy.

Chapter 4: You Might Grow Up, But You'll Always Come Home.

It had been nearly five days since Jane had caught either sight or sound of Thor, and sure she was busy with work and research, and she’d missed his presence whenever she spotted the rest of his gang, but he hadn’t answered her call and hadn’t returned it and she did want to seem needy so she’d stopped calling, and finally she just had assume he was equally busy. Sif it seemed too, had been likewise absent from the group, and while Jane really didn’t like to think about them together in anyway because it made her feel uncomfortable and voyeuristic, she couldn’t help but admit that they were probably together.

Until she stopped Sif wondering alone, aimlessly along the boardwalk, pulled along behind a giant dog one day.

“Sif.” Jane called and rushed over to her, clutching her notebook and files to her chest, almost tripping over her flipflops. “Hey, Sif!” Sif turned to her and Jane was almost sorry she’d interrupted the other girl’s walk. Sif looked exhausted, with shadows under her eyes and lines around her mouth. She looked like she’d spent the last five days crying.

“Jane Foster.” Sif said, smiling brilliantly, almost banishing away the lines and tear tracks. “Having a fine day?”

“Oh. Yes.” Jane nodded. “Very. I was just collecting tidal data.” Sif cocked an eyebrow and nodded once, a little dip of her chin. She motioned for Jane to walk with her.

“This is my brother’s Hel-Beast.” Sif explained motioning to the monster walking in front of her. Sif had the dog lashed to her waist, so he wouldn’t pull her down. “Thor’s brother convinced my brother he needed a dog and now I take care of the damn thing whenever he has to leave town. Or whenever he doesn’t want to deal with it.” She shrugged and the hel-beast looked over at them, grinning and slobbering.

“Oh. Well. That’s nice of you.” Jane nodded. “Would you like to grab some coffee, no offence but you look like you could use it.” Sif nodded and smiled at Jane and they headed toward a grocery emporium that sold some of the best coffee in the town.

“How has your researched been going, Jane Foster?” Sif asked as she tied the hel-beast to a post outside.

“It’s been… maybe not fruitful, but defiantly encouraging.” Jane told her as they wondered through the aisles after getting coffee. Sif had ordered a triple Americano and drunk it black. “Do you mind? I need to pick up more coconut milk for Darcy.” Sif made a sweeping gesture with her hand as Jane picked up a hand basket.

“How is Miss. Darcy?” Sif asked, her ponytail bobbing. She walked with a strange grace, her back was straight and her shoulders were strong, as if she’d been told since she was a child that one day she would be a queen. Jane couldn’t help but think that was the only thing going through Sif’s mind was _‘murder’_.

“She’s good.” Jane nodded pulling down a box of coconut milk. “How’s Thor?”

“Thor?” Sif asked and her ponytail shook as she jerked her head. “I assume he is well. I have not seen him for near a week, he has been… occupied else wise.” She sounded bitter and happy at the same time.

“He got a call while we were together.” Jane said. “He said it was personal.”

“Quite I would imagine.” Jane grabbed a bag of crystallized ginger and threw it into Jane’s basket. “Asgardian delicacy. You’ll love it. I need to get a steak for the hel-beast.” As they rounded a corner and began approaching the meat department of the store, the pair spotted a familiar figure standing before the meat cases, hands in the pockets of his shorts, grinning and laughing to the butcher. Thor turned and spotted them, raising a hand in greeting as they approached. He looked happy.

“Sif! Jane!” He said hugging them. “I am pleased to see you.”

“It’s not as if you’ve made an effort to see either of us, of course.” Sif told him and Jane watched his eyes darken. Thor took one of her hands and squeezed it.

“I am sorry.” He said leaned forward to touch his head to her’s. “Forgive me?” The simple phrase was all it seemed to take, and Sif nodded, kissing his cheek.

“Just say you’re happy,” She said to him and Jane looked away, at the case of meat beside her, richly red and brightly lit. “Jane has been up to her research all week it seems to me. That and working diligently at Volstagg’s.” Jane offered Thor a half smile and a shrug when she turned back to them.

“Jane, I am quite sorry that I have not returned your calls,” Thor told her, “I’ve been expectedly busy lately. I still fully intend to take you out into the open water, of course. It’s just that I’ve had a guest as of late.”

“How is that guest?” Sif asked, bristling again.

“He is quite well, thank you, Lady Sif.” A cool and clear voice called from behind them. Sif and Jane turned to watch a man slink up behind them. He was paler then the moon, Jane thought, and his hair was blacker then night, sleek and worn long against his shoulders. He had a hand in his pocket and a package of hotdogs in the other. He was dressed in a green t-shirt and long ripped grey jeans. One of his wrists was clunky with golden bracelets.

“Here.” He said handing the hotdogs to Thor. “It’s the only brand I could find that lacked hormones and antibiotics.” A few of the gold bracelets jangled on his wrist as he held his arm out. Thor took the hotdogs and dropped them into the basket at his feet.

“Jane Foster, I would like you to meet my brother, Loki.” Thor grinned and Jane offered the pale boy her hand.

“Adopted brother. My brother tells me you are a scientist. You are not what I imagined.” He told her as he shook her hand.

“That’s uh… It’s nice to meet you.” Jane nodded. Sif glanced down at Loki’s chest, and reached out to pick up a small slice of abalone hanging against his shirt.

“Abalone. It’s beautiful. A gift from your brother no doubt. Treasure it always. You may never get another like it.” She looked sad again for a moment before turning to the butcher and asking for a steak. “I’ve got to depart,” She said. “My brother has imparted his hel-beast on me and I’ve left it outside.”

“How is Heimdal?” Loki asked as they all walked toward the checkers.

“He would be happy to arrest you I am sure.” She said to Loki as she slapped the steak down on the conveyer belt. “So I will see you this Saturday right?” Sif tossed her hair and stood with the steak under her arm and a hand on her hip.

“Satur…daaay….” Thor nodded keeping his eyes away from Sif’s. “Uh… Perhaps?”

“Thor!” She said, stomping her foot like a child but the action was terrifyingly fierce and Jane saw Thor flinch. “There’s another protest! You _promised_ you’d be there.” Thor rubbed his head and the cashier looked uneasy as she bagged his groceries.

“And I was planning on it.” Thor told her. “But… Uh… No, I mean I will be there no doubt about it. I promise.” He tried another winning smile on her and she narrowed her eyes. They were a brilliant blue, bluer then Thor’s.

“I know where you _reside_ , Odinson.” She threatened, poking him in the chest. “If you do not attend I will bring down blood and terror on you.” She turned to smile at Jane. “Good day, Jane Foster. Tell Darcy I await her next lesson. Farewell.” She leaned forward as if to kiss Thor, but stopped herself and threw an arm around him for a hug instead. As she pulled away, she inclined his head toward Loki respectfully before turning and marching out the door, shouting at the hel-beast to ‘cease his chewing of that bike tire.’

“Well then.” Jane said, hoisting up her bag of groceries. “I should head back home, I mean, I left Darcy alone, and God only knows what kind of trouble she’s going to get herself into.” Thor smiled and nodded as they walked out.

“But surely, you could spare a few moments times could you not?” Thor asked. “Accompany us to the record store, yes? You will not be gone for long. I promise.” He grinned again and Jane looked over her shoulder to his brother. Loki was watching the car pass by on the street with a contemptuous look, surly glaring at the girl on rollerblades.

“That sounds great.” Jane said, “But I don’t think your brother would appreciate it, maybe.” Thor followed her glance and shrugged.

“His face always resembles that.” Thor told her and jerked his chin toward in the direction of the record store. “Come now, it will be fun!” He grinned and Jane couldn’t say no. He was like a puppy she though, as he dragged them down the street, grinning and bursting with a strange energy while his brother slunk along, the corner of his mouth turning up occasionally at the expense of his brother, before turning down again quickly, as if he refused to allow himself some kind of joy. Jane tagged along, shifting her groceries from one arm to the next skipping every once in a while to keep up with their long legs. She watched Thor’s hand twitch and rub his palm against his pants, as if he wanted to take Loki’s hand badly, but couldn’t bring himself to. They were interesting, she thought, completely different and strange, mirrors of each other. Thor had always been half way between happy and it’s opposite before now, brooding to himself, but never allowing it to seep out and affect his friends, but now, now there were no traces of that dark thing, it was like he was a child.

Jane wondered what had changed. Maybe nothing.

The record store Thor took her too was tiny and cramped, with an upstairs loft filled with vinyl records and leopard print love seats that looked like someone had rescued them from the garage of a rockabilly band. The boys perused the downstairs section of the store, blinding with light bouncing off brand new cases and disks, maybe of shiny plastic, before mounting the wooden stairs and continuing upstairs. Jane rushed to keep up with them, taking the first few stairs two at a time before catching up with them.

“Vinyl?” She asked with an eyebrow, Thor grinned at her as he began to browse the classic rock section of the store. He pulled out a Thin Lizzy album and perused the back before dropping it back into the box.

“Yeah.” He said. “The music sounds better. It’s something to do with compression or something. I dunno. Loki could tell you. He’s the one that got me addicted.” Thor shrugged and choose a Nazareth album. “What kind of music do you listen to, Jane Foster?” He’d moved across the row to the metal section. Jane watched as Loki glanced up at them from beneath his eyelashes every once in a while from the other side of the room.

“I dunno.” She shrugged and picked her way through a section under the cardboard label ‘THRASH METAL’. There was another couple, a girl with colored hair and boy with a septum, browsing the music, giggling at every bad cover they found, and a man lounging on one of the couches, headphones plugged in a turn table next to him, his head bobbing to the rhythm. There was music playing over a PA system, something that sounded like Frank Sinatra. The store was filled with hazy sunlight, pink colored from the covers over the skylights, like rose tinted glasses.

“Well,” Thor said kicking one foot against the other, a hand in his pocket. “How about…” Long fingers danced over albums before he saw one he liked, extracting it from the rest. The cover was plastered with the image of a woman with bright auburn hair and very pale skin.

“This is one of Sif’s favorites.” He said turning it over before examining the price sticker on the shiny shrink wrap. It was one of the few albums that was new. “I think you’d like it.” Jane took the album from him and turned it over, reading the first few tracks, printed in tiny letters under an anatomical picture of a pair of lungs. She didn’t have the heart to tell Thor she didn’t have a turn table; he was busily yapping about other bands and pulling out albums at random, thinking out loud most of the time, but when he was talking it seemed to be directed toward his brother. Jane didn’t mind, she just turned and browsed a section marked with a label that looked like stick figures of dancing trees.

“It’s Asgardian.”

Jane glanced up to see Loki looking over her shoulder, a stack of albums in his hand. He set the stack down and began flipping through the section directly next to her.

“We all used to speak it.” He told her lifting an album up. There was a man sitting on a pedestal on the cover, the same stick writing dancing across it. “But we’ve since adopted your tongue, seeing as it is the common one. Makes things easier.”

“Oh.” Jane said raising her eyebrows and looking at the stick letters anew. “And people still speak it?”

“The older generations, yes. It’s coming back, slowly, and I’m sure it will die completely before it lives again.” Loki said calmly. He had a way of speaking that was intoxicating to Jane, he pitched his voice low, making his audience lean in close to hear what he was saying; he talked like everything was a secret and Jane was lucky enough to hear it.

“Can you?”

“Of course.” He said. “I am rusty I will admit, my dialect of choice as of late has not been Asgardian, but both Thor and I learned it as children. Baldur too. Our parents insisted upon it.” He smiled a smile that was full of something tricky, and went back to the albums before him. Jane nodded to herself and mimicked his movement.

“Where have you been?” She asked. “Somewhere exotic would be my guess. Somewhere far away.” She glanced at Loki and saw his mouth twitch.

“You would be correct.” He said turning to lean against the racks, one arm resting on the records. “I’ve been many places if not everywhere. I’ve seen much and most of your homeland. I have seen the abandoned cities of the Vanir. I have walked the enchanted forest of Alfheim and traversed the Boiling Plain in Nidavellir. I have sat in Nornheim’s Cave of Ages and I once dwelt three days in the peaks of Asgard’s mountains. I have lived peaceably with the giants of Jotunheim, as they are my blood, and it was a good time of my life. But now, alas, I am here again. If only for a time.”

“Only for a time?” Jane asked her brow furrowing. “You’re not going to stay?” Loki glanced over his shoulder toward Thor, who was sitting on the floor before a box of albums.

“I do not.” He said looking back to Jane. “I did not come back to stay.”

“Then why did you?”

“I am unsure. But I am here and I will stay for as long as I can allow it.”

“What about Thor? He’s not gonna be too happy about you leaving again I think.”

Loki’s Adam apple bobbed and he shrugged. “He will survive. He does not know of my intentions yet, mind, and I would be please if it was to stay that way, Jane Foster.” Loki smiled at her and tapped the side of his nose before turning and heading toward his brother holding out an album. Thor looked up and grinned before taking a look at the album and grinning wider, astonishment flickering over his face, apparently it was something he’d been looking for.

They stayed at the store for a while and Jane left with a light wallet and a stack of records that she couldn’t listen to. Sif had a turn table, maybe she could play them at Sif’s. Thor had bought a few old Midgardian bands, and then newer local things that he seemed pleased over. Loki on the other hand had spent his money (and a sting of red beads) on something he’d called ‘acid jazz’ and obscure bands that had children’s choirs and soft lyrics. She’d peeked at the covers of the albums as they were dropped into a brown paper bag, noticing mostly psychedelically colored images before her attention had been called away by Thor. It was often like one of the brothers was fighting for her attention from the other, like children. They were still like children in many respects; she had watched them fight over the release date of one album at one point.

“Thor.” Jane said finally, after following them for a few blocks. “I’ve got to get to work.” He was grinning when he looked at her, and didn’t seem too concerned with what she was saying. “Meaning I’ve got to leave now.”

“Oh.” He nodded and looked sorrowful for a moment. “I had a very nice time with you Jane Foster.”

“Yeah, me too.” She said hoisting up her bags. “I’ll call you?”

“Yes. Oh, Jane.” He caught her just as she turned to cross the street. She could see Loki behind them, examining a graffiti mural. “I meant to tell you that I still intend to take you out on Skidbaldnir, and that I apologize for being so unreliable. So please, tell me what day would be best for you.” Jane cocked her head to the side and looked over Thor. He was an interesting character, Jane decided; he was a guy who’d give you the shirt of his back if you asked, but he came from money, and often didn’t seem to understand the concept of work and obligations. He was like the surfers she’d known on Midgard, carefree and kind.

“I’ll text you.” She said finally and he grinned again before kissing her hand in farewell and directing Loki toward the bus station.

Loki watched the girl leave, in backward glances that his brother didn’t catch. He wondered mildly if Thor had screwed her. The thought of them together, in her bed or in his, made him uncomfortable. It was a hot and seething kind of thing that curled up in his muscles and made him grab at Thor’s hand. Thor hissed at the vicious nature of the grasp, interrupted in the middle of his sentence.

“Let us go somewhere.” Loki said as Thor pulled his hand out of the grasp as the few other people at the bus stop looked on.

“What?” Thor asked with a frown. “What do you mean?”

“Let us go somewhere and do something.” Loki repeated. Thor chuckled and Loki frowned at him. “I do not jest, brother.”

“Loki, where would we go?” Thor said, “That is an absurd idea. Where would we go? How would we live?”

“It does not matter.” Loki shrugged and grabbed at Thor’s hand again. “It is not as if you have any obligations here. You have no occupation, no serious lover as to where I can tell, you do not attend school, nor do you rent or own a place of residence.” Loki pulled Thor’s face to look at him, searching deeply into Thor’s eyes. “The only ties you have to this place are sentimental, the ocean and what it means to you, but we could go and we could find better beaches, we could make them mean something new.” Thor pulled his head away from his brother’s grip, rolling his shoulder and pulling his hand away.

“You forget, Loki, I have family.” Thor said. “I am not like you, and have not completely written off my mother and father and brothers. You say I have reasons to leave, and yet I have reasons to stay as well.”

“ _Family?_ ” Loki said, spitting the word as if it left a taste in his mouth he was trying hard to forget. “That is your reason? Odin? _He_ is your reason to stay? He betrayed us, Thor, he sent me away,” The bus had not yet arrived and the brothers had drawn a scene for the other citizens at the stop.

“And he sent me away as well,” Thor said hissing and grabbing his brother’s arm, as if in an attempt to silence him. “And yet I have love for him. You forget Baldur, as well as my friends who are the same to me as family.” Loki snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Baldur, perpetual golden son even in the shade of _your_ greatness,” He said “How could you feel anything up resentment for that boy? He has always since his birth, planned out ways to steal mother’s love from us. He is perfect in all his ways, which makes him a flaw among us flaws, but he is praised for his faults and we are rebuked for having ours. As for your ‘friends’—”

“And what of mother, Loki?” Thor said, raising his voice to stop his brother, his eye crackling and hard. “What of her? She has only ever had love for you in her heart and yet every chance you get you squander it like a child playing in the sand. You scream for affection, yet you push it away when is give because your nature is that of mischief and you cannot believe that someone would not be cruel to you. You convince yourself you are unloved and then wallow in the pity. Yes, father is a weak man, and Baldur was an irritation as a child, and my friends are not your friends, but you have no reason to take a distasteful tongue toward our mother, nor to do have any reason to turn distasteful toward my reasons to stay in Asgardia. I have forgiven those who wronged me, instead of running for the hills because I was not strong enough. I am not you, brother, I will not hide, I am not afraid.” And yet, as he said the words, as he watched his brother’s face setting into the dark and stiff mask he’d worn often before he had left Thor knew he was lying. He could make all the excuses he wanted, and he could use many people for those excuses, but he knew it would never be true and that he was a hypocrite and a worse liar than that of his brother.

“You think me afraid?” Loki said, his voice dropping low like coins on the floor, “I… I am not afraid, Thor! I have never been afraid! I ran because I could not stay knowing what I know, and you, you were like a frightened rabbit and hid under mother’s skirts while I wondered the greatness of the world, ever looking for a thing you call _home_! Do not call me a coward from the safety of your known and comfortable world!” Thor scoffed and took a step back, smothering the guilt inside him. Loki glared and turned from his brother pulling his arm out of the Thor’s grasp when Thor tried to stop him. As he past the rubbish bin be the side of the bus station be dumped the bag of records he’d bought into it in a selfish streak of vindictiveness.

“And where will you go now, brother? Where will you run to now?!” Thor said as Loki walked farther and farther from him.

“Away from you,” Loki responded as the bus pulled up to the stop and Thor began to board it almost hesitantly, before mounting the bus with angry steps that echoed in Loki’s mind.

Loki watched the bus pull away from the curb and curled his fingers into his palm, letting his black varnished nails bite into the soft flesh of his skin. His brother was infuriating. Thor was strong and brave and too afraid to let himself love Loki in the ways Loki needed love. Thor would never leave this place; he was much too weak. And yet, Loki loved his brother in strange ways, and wanted above all Thor to come away with him. He wanted to show Thor the beauty he had found, to remind his brother that not all was dank and dry like here, that were was a bright vivid side to life. Loki turned and began walking again.

He did not know where he would walk to, not ready to leave this place yet, but in need of most pleasant company then his brother. He thought of finding Sif, it would not be hard, but she would scowl at him and he was not in that kind of mood. He thought of finding a girl he’d once known here, but she would turn him away for his abandonment of her. He thought of finding the little Jane Foster, but she would ask questions he did not want to answer to.  

 And so he walked, he let his feet find their own way through the town as he brooded over his brother and the town and finally be found himself at the foot a great stone mansion that was build, sturdily, but precariously over a great blue pool of the ocean, the estate extending to the right, in the form a great walled gardens. Loki sighed to himself as he looked up, upon the house, with its ivy covered stone, roof top garden and red tiled balconies over grown with plant life. It was as he remembered it, the key was still under the mat, and the house still smelt of apples. Loki wondered though the house, quiet and empty now that there were no children running through the halls pushing each other into the glass cabinets of antique dishes. His barefeet traced well remembered steps as he took the stairs to the second floor, his shoes left at the door. The walls were a light color, but Loki remembered them being a dark rich color. Maybe they had been painted since he had left.

He paused only briefly to look at the wall of photos on his journey, glancing at a gap-toothed Thor and a child that looked like him scowling at the photographer. There was a photo of them at his and Thor’s graduation and a photo of Baldur with some woman sitting in a tent grinning. Loki scoffed and tilted one the photos slightly to the right, just so it was hairline off, to give the housekeeper something to fret over, before turning and finding his way through another door. He stood at the base of a large room, filled, from floor to ceiling with books in pale wooden shelves. This was the place he’d grown up, in the stacks, hiding from his father, behind a book with a mug of hot coco. Loki sighed to himself and moved forward to the shelves, running his fingers of the spines.

“Loki!”

Loki turned, with a half-cocked expression to see the housekeeper standing int he doorway, a spray bottle and rag in her hands. Fulla had been the housekeeper since Thor and he were little monsters that wrecked her flower arrangements and trod mud all over the carpet. She’d hated them he was sure, how could she not? But she’d put up with their antics without setting them (it would have probably been Thor) on fire.

“Hello, Fulla.” He said, bowing slightly, clasping his hands behind his back. “Just perusing the old stock.” He smiled and looked back at the books.

“More like getting your dirty finger prints on them.” She said pushing past him to wipe off the spines of the books he’d touched. “I was not aware of your return.” Her hand shook as she brushed his rag over the book and Loki nodded.

“Is my mother at hand?”

“She is in the gardens.” Fulla looked up and shuffled to put the books away as Loki wonder around her toward the door. “Do you- Do you need me to--?”

“I can find my way myself thank you, Fulla,” Loki said smiling at her. “It is good to see you again. I shall try not to touch anything on my way.”

“It’s good to see you as well.” She responded quietly as he left the room. Loki made his way leisurely to the gardens on the east side of the house, where the property stretched for what had seemed like miles when they were children. Loki didn’t pause too long in any one room, for fear of lingering, but he couldn’t help stopping to look briefly into Thor’s bedroom. It was stripped bare of anything that could have had any bit of Thor’s personality in it. The bedframe was still there, but the bedding had been changed to a sterile and safe blue and white, with an afghan thrown over the foot. Loki remembered Thor’s room being painted a deep dark red that he and his friends had done a poor job at so the original light blue was thickly visible along the trip and ceiling, but it was blue again, the lightest blue possible, almost white. Loki leaned close to the wall around the head of the bed, and found the lightest impression of where thousands of pushpins had been stuck to hold up thousands of magazine clippings and photographs Thor had collected. The less than professional shelves Thor’d put up to house his vast Shakespeare collection was gone, as were the prayer flags and the bells that hung from the ceiling. The floor table had been moved, and a bowl of potpourri placed on top of it, to hide where they’d spilled hot wax on the hardwood. Loki left the room and didn’t seek out his own.

He found his mother exactly where Fulla had said she would be, in the gardens with dirt on her dress and hands, planting flower bulbs. The gardens were her pride and joy and Loki relished in the lushness of them. They were filled with some of the most exquisite plant life, flowers and trees and vines with wondered up stone terraces and sky high hedges. His mother looked the same as she always had, sweet and stern with cascades of golden hair like Thor.

“Hello mother.” He said after a moment. She turned and as standing before him almost instantly, wrapping her dirt stained arms around him and pulling him down to meet her. His mother cooed and kissed his face and said his name.

“Oh, Loki,” She said, hold him to her. “I missed you.”

“I know mother.” He said hugging her back. “I missed you as well.” He took a deep breath, full of the smell of dirt and his mother’s perfume, before pulling back. She smiled at him and he thought that she wasn’t the same, her face was lined and old now.

“Come.” She said motioning to a bench near them. “Sit. Sit. Oh, Loki.” She fussed over his shirt as he sat and he smiled. “You look good. You look very good.”

“Thank you.” He said patting the chest pocket of his shirt. “I have something for you,” Loki pulled a triple wrap three strand bracelet from his pocket. It was made of three different kinds of blue trade beads from one of the many markets he’d visited, with other little beads he’d picked up along his journeys. “I made it for you.”

“Oh, Loki.” Frigga smiled and offered him her wrist. “Thank you.” Loki smiled. “Will you tell me where you’ve been? What you’ve seen?”

“I’ve been everywhere, mother.” Loki said. “I’ve seen so much.”

“You returned to Jotunheim?”

“I did.” Loki nodded and tossed his hair back. “They greeted me like a prince. I stayed there for a long while. Until I couldn’t anymore and then I went to many other places. It was beautiful mother, the places I saw.” Frigga smiled and reach out to squeeze his hand.

“Have you seen your brother yet?”

“I’ve been staying with him. He gave me this.” Loki said, holding out the tiny piece of abalone and Frigga smiled.

“Good. I’m glad.” Loki nodded and his jaw went tight, one of his hands curling against his knee. “You two are fighting aren’t you?”

“He is being an oaf.” Loki told her and she laughed.

“He’s always being an oaf, isn’t he?” Frigga said and reached over to squeeze Loki’s hand. “Loki. I want you to know just how much I love you, okay? And how much I love your brother. You’ll always be my son, and you can always come home to me. You understand that do you not?” Loki opened his mouth, as if to tell her that he wasn’t her son and that he had never been, but Frigga made a noise and shushed him. “No, Loki, I do not want to hear your vehement denials, I just want you to listen to me. I want you to understand that in spite of all the tribulations that you have been forced into, that you have forced me into, I still love you. Your brother too.”

“How? How can you think of me as anything but a thing that stole your love as a child?” Loki asked, laughing harshly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, putting his face in his hands. “How can you stand to bare witness to our faces now, we are discussing twisted things that defy all that is good and right, we should be burned for our sins.”

“It does not matter how I can love, just that I do.” Frigga told him, putting her hand on Loki’s back. “I am your mother and my job here, on this earth, is to love you until you die and then to keep loving you after that.”

“That is not right. You should not love us.”

“Love isn’t always right Loki.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well you finished a chapter, congrads, let me know what you think!


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